14 June 2017

Bromley FC join Junior Premier League

  • Youth Academy

Bromley Football Club are pleased to announce that for the 2017/18 season the Academy will be joining the Junior Premier League (JPL).

As a club we have recognised that there is a strategic gap between the Football League academies and the grassroots game. This means that young players are often moved between the two which in turn has seen many young players overlooked within their football “development”. So as a result, the National League are looking to “bridge the gap” and establish standards for clubs, coaching staff and players who if released from the EPPP programme, can now find themselves in a completely different grassroots environment – the “development” environment!

The National League, in football ladder terms, is the bridge between non-league and league football in England & Wales. The current CEO of the National League was responsible for the delivery of the EPPP system in the professional game and is determined to create a platform to further develop such standards which has also been the focus of the Chairman of the Junior Premier League and this league’s continued work with the FA has seen a move towards the higher standards that would be required.

With the aforementioned as a backdrop, a number of National League and Step 3 & 4 clubs have been working in conjunction with the JPL in order to develop an environment that promotes a player and coach focused set of standards that will attempt to bridge the strategic gap.

The standards will be developed with an emphasis on the following objectives, in order to:

  1. Develop the right playing environment for the development of players and staff
  2. Provide qualified coaching staff with a set of standards that will enhance and encourage their own personal development
  3. Develop and monitor players in a playing programme that will be competitive but will encourage the right ways to achieve success
  4. Provide clubs with a player registration system that will offer players and their clubs the right level of support

The forming of elite squads and recruitment of players will be staggered over three periods:

  • 2017-18: u13s, u14s, u15s, u16s
  • 2018-19: u10s, u11s, u12s, u13s, u14s, u15s & u16s
  • 2019-20: u6s, u7s, u8s, u9s, u10s, u11s, u12s, u13s, u14s, u15s & u16s

The top clubs from different regions are now facing each other and giving players the added challenge, development and exposure to game time they all need and deserve.

The League has a great cross section of clubs involved from Premier League to semi-professional clubs. The important thing for any club entering the league is a genuine desire to develop their players to the best of their ability.

Bromley Football Club want our players to love the game and feel that it will give any young player the grounding and the potential to start on a pathway in what could lead into our Post 16 Academy. This way players will remain involved in football past the age of 16, progressing onto the Bromley Football Club Academy Education and Scholarship pathway and then exit the 2 year scheme via a host of unique pathways such as becoming a First Team player, semi-pro player, coach or entry into a University or US scholarship plus potential Bromley FC work placement.

In creating this additional layer of development Bromley Football Club will now offer Football for All, Development and Academy programmes across the Youth Development Phase which is in line with the FA’s Technical Guide to young player development.

Academy and First Team Goalkeeping Coach Glyn Shimell will head up the newly formed Bromley FC Youth Phase Academy and had this to say; “These are exciting times for the club. We are building on the excellent work already being done by our Youth and Junior Sections. Bromley FC can now offer a clear pathway for local talent to compete against clubs with a similar stature to us in a professional environment.”

Academy Director Mark Hammond added, “With the infrastructure that is being built by the club we can now align and bridge the Youth, Academy and First Team offering clear pathways. We are launching a groundbreaking education and football framework that will be unrivalled with first class facilities and staff. The young players of Bromley Football Club will gain an enriching experience throughout their time with us.”